I found Tai Chi relaxing. (At least once I knew the form and wasn’t frustrated trying to remember what came next. ) For multiple reasons, I ended up no longer practicing. I do miss it though. (Knee problems haven’t helped me get back into it… And then there’s learning the form all over again. )

As to the actual topic, I don’t really practice meditation of any kind. Although, sometimes, when the grill is fired up, the beer is cold and the weather is nice, just sitting outside staring at the clouds is an ‘in the moment’ thing for me. (Then our 5 year screams at her older brother, something gets knocked over, the cat throws up… )

Take care,

Derek

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“It is noble to be good; it is still nobler to teach others to be good—and less trouble.”—Mark Twain

You could say I “practice meditation” every night when I try to go to sleep. (unless I pass out from having a few too many with my friends!)

Sleep for me is difficult when my brain won’t seem to stop working on something so I have to work deliberately to calm my mind.

Scott

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Imagine being a free-thinking intellectual from Seattle living in the Heart of the Bible Belt. Where everyone regularly follows the chuch of Fox News. Receives their sermons from Rush Limbaugh. Invocation from Glenn Beck. And Sarah Palin is their Prophet….

I try to get out of my head and practice mindful awareness as often as I can, mostly being aware of my breath and what’s going on with my five senses. I even have a bell on my computer that randomly goes off to remind me to do the practice. I don’t always bother to do it though.

Well, I suffer from a severe insomnia and it is those boring programs (orange juice infomercials, e.g.) that allow me to stop thinking and help me to fall asleep. It works for me.

Sorry to hear it, George, and glad that TV helps you sleep. But the point of meditation isn’t boredom. Although it’s true that boredom is a classic pitfall in meditation: it’s something that has to be dealt with and overcome if the practice is to be worthwhile.

Boredom is another form of judging. A meditator tries to observe the present moment without judging it. Judging is making an evaluation which is different than an observation or a description. A meditator can make an observation about a judgment. A meditator cannot get rid of all judging, that would be almost as hard as not thinking. Deciding not to judge is a judgment. However, some forms of judging such as boredom can be reduced as part of the practice.

About the idea that scientific evidence for meditation is inconclusive, the meditation that DougSmith talked about of accepting the present moment seems to me to be one of the pillars of science. The first step of science is accurate observation. If someone is not observing the present moment due to thinking about the past or the future or won’t look at the present because the present contains some information the person does not want to see, then this is not good observation. Any conclusions based on these poor observations no matter how well reasoned will be poor as well.

About the subjective nature, some people have problems with pain because they don’t want to be in pain. It’s one thing to have pain from some sort of injury or neurological problem, but it is another thing when people add to the pain because they can’t stand having to put up with the pain. Fighting the pain, resisting accepting the reality that it exists could make a pain level of 3 out 10 end up being a pain level of 7 out of 10. Not accepting the present moment can lead to subjective problems such as more pain or more anxiety or it can lead to poor coping decisions based on poor observations of reality. John Cabot Zinn uses meditation at his stress reduction clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. I’ve found the CDs by John Cabot Zinn to be very good. He presents secularized versions of meditation.

I’m not talking about TM or anything with lots of religious baggage or dubious claims. But what about meditation just for the health benefits—relation, stress reduction, etc. Does anyone here practice it or have you in the past? What are your opinions about it? Is it effective? I admit to being intrigued by it.

while in the Air Force I went through a stress management course that was helpful and gave me confidence in the use of self-hypnosis. I went onto taking classes from http://www.hypnosis.edu/ years ago, but still use several techniques daily. I’m sure there are other websites out there that offer similar techniques.

A crystal clear glass filled with good, natural, pure, ice water works for me, but I have been using that technique for a very long time. And have drank gallons…of water. This simple visual aid description may mean nothing to many, but it has an effect on me.

The old technique of visualizing a warm orange fluid beginning from head moving down, cleansing and healing, through all parts of the body as you slowly guide it to the tips of toes. Is one of my favorites which takes me about 30-40 minutes to complete. (I’m tall). There is much more to it than the brief explanation I am giving in both of these visuals. You will have to search and find what works for you.

I can only speak of my experiences, but self-hypnosis has aided in pain management of multiple neck injuries/surgeries,(C-2 through C-7 fusions, three separate surgeries), stress reduction and relaxation. But this is not for everyone, for me, it was better than the prescribed addictive pain killers. And now it’s like riding a bike, never forget the technique.

I’m not talking about TM or anything with lots of religious baggage or dubious claims. But what about meditation just for the health benefits—relation, stress reduction, etc. Does anyone here practice it or have you in the past? What are your opinions about it? Is it effective? I admit to being intrigued by it.

while in the Air Force I went through a stress management course that was helpful and gave me confidence in the use of self-hypnosis. I went onto taking classes from http://www.hypnosis.edu/ years ago, but still use several techniques daily. I’m sure there are other websites out there that offer similar techniques.

A crystal clear glass filled with good, natural, pure, ice water works for me, but I have been using that technique for a very long time. And have drank gallons…of water. This simple visual aid description may mean nothing to many, but it has an effect on me.

The old technique of visualizing a warm orange fluid beginning from head moving down, cleansing and healing, through all parts of the body as you slowly guide it to the tips of toes. Is one of my favorites which takes me about 30-40 minutes to complete. (I’m tall). There is much more to it than the brief explanation I am giving in both of these visuals. You will have to search and find what works for you.

I can only speak of my experiences, but self-hypnosis has aided in pain management of multiple neck injuries/surgeries,(C-2 through C-7 fusions, three separate surgeries), stress reduction and relaxation. But this is not for everyone, for me, it was better than the prescribed addictive pain killers. And now it’s like riding a bike, never forget the technique.

Hope this helps.

204 just out of curiosity, was the stress mgmt course mandatory?

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“I am back from Syria. I believe I have enlightened ISIS to the error of their ways. They are all vegan now.” - Godfrey Elfwick

I know you were joking, but just for clarity’s sake there is a significant difference between meditating and ‘vegging out’. The latter involves letting your mind wander freely or getting lost in thought, and it’s definitely helped by a cold brew or glass of Pinot. The former involves focusing your mind on one thing and holding it there as well as you can. It involves trying to stop your mind from wandering. It’s definitely not helped by being buzzed, though caffeine is good.

I know you were joking, but just for clarity’s sake there is a significant difference between meditating and ‘vegging out’. The latter involves letting your mind wander freely or getting lost in thought

I think that’s (vegging out) what a lot of people think meditation is.